It is so disappointing to sit through these election campaigns and no one has brought up the real issue that affects all of us in some way – health. I am not talking about money for nurses or beds for patients but basic health issues.

According to a survey by Diabetes UK in 2008, diabetes costs UK plc £1,000,000 per hour! Yes that is £1,000,000 per hour which adds up to £8 billion per year or £4billion if you don’t count sleeping hours. These estimates don’t include the cost of pre diabetes or obesity. We have all been told that the numbers of diabetics are about to escalate and that will increase the costs to UK plc.

Diabetes can be managed with diet alone but unfortunately the diet that manages diabetes is a low starch low sugar diet and not the eatwell plate promoted by the government. As I have frequently noted in other blogs it is the eatwell plate that is causing the obesity crises.

One very easy win to reduce our deficit and improve the lives of many millions in the UK would be to switch our diet away from starch and sugar. No investment required. No job cuts and no tax. Just a change to the shopping basket.